Violent history and interest in art

MICHAEL Stone was born on April 2, 1955, in Birmingham His mother left his father when he was five months old and he went to live with his father’s sister in Ballyhalbert, Co Down.

He was brought up on the working-class loyalist estate the Braniel in east Belfast with five siblings.

His nickname at Lisnasharragh High School, George Best’s old school, was “Flint”, which he claimed was because of the tough attitude which regularly had him thrown out of class.